In-line banding apparatus

ABSTRACT

A machine for and method of accepting the group-by-group discharge from a bag collator and for forming such groups into bundles each of which constitutes a predetermined number of bags. After formation, the bag bundles are compressed by application of forces thereto adequate to develop high-bag friction within the interior of each bundle. Each compressed bundle is advanced into and through banding apparatus in a step-by-step progression during which a band is wrapped or folded about the bundle and has adhesive applied to its overlapping flaps, and the band-equipped bundle is then maintained under compressional constraint through a plurality of cycles of the machine to enable the adhesive to cure before the bundle is ejected therefrom.

United States Patent Hartbauer et a1.

[54] lN-LINE BANDING APPARATUS [72] Inventors: Ellsworth A. Harthauer, Lafayette; John R. Erickson, Antioch, both of Calif.

21] Appl. No.: 821,774

[52] 11.8.1111. ..53/124 CC,53/l24 C,53/l39.3, 93/369 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b l/24, B65b 63/02, B65b 13/04 [58] Field ofSearch ..53/124 R, 124 C, 124 D, 124 CC, 53/124 'A, 139.3; 93/93 DP, 36.9

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,221,196 4/1917 Lewis ..53/124 1,839,152 12/1931 Heywood ..53/124 2,006,51 l 7/1935 Parsons ..53/124 2,996,859 3/1961 Winkler ..53/124 3,017,730 H1962 Rodish ..53/124 3,239,994 3/1966 Etzel ..53/139.3 X

3,399,788 9/1968 Heywood ..93/93 3,407,562 10/1968 DiNicola ..53/124 1 1 Mar. 14, 1972 3,474,593 10/1969 Hartbauer ..53/124 Primary Examiner-Wayne A. Morse, Jr. Attorney-Stanley Bialos 57 ABSTRACT A machine for and method of accepting the group-by-group discharge from a bag collator and for forming such groups into bundles each of which constitutes a predetermined number of bags. After formation, the bag bundles are compressed by application of forces thereto adequate to develop high-bag friction within the interior of each bundle. Each compressed bundle is advanced into and through banding apparatus in a stepby-step progression during which a band is wrapped or folded about the bundle and has adhesive applied to its overlapping flaps, and the band-equipped bundle is then maintained under compressional constraint through a plurality of cycles of the machine to enable the adhesive to cure before the bundle is ejected therefrom.

33 Claims, 34 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 SHEET 05 0F fa N E maria/v Aka @241 Irwin if PMEIEUMAR 14 I972 SHEET MIN 22 INVENTOR5 PATENTEDHAR 14 I972 3,6A8A3l SHEET 19 0F 22 

1. Compression-transfer apparatus for compressing a bundle of bag articles or the like and for transferring the same into banding apparatus, comprising an elongated track equipped with a carriage longitudinally reciprocable therealong, drive structure connected with said carriage for effecting such reciprocable displacements thereof, a dolly mounted upon said carriage and being longitudinally reciprocable with respect thereto, first drive means connected with said dolly and being operative to effect such reciprocable displacements thereof relative to said carriage, a compression plate supported by said dolly for movement therewith and being transversely displacable with respect thereto, second drive means connected with said compression plate and being operative to displace the same selectively between an extended operative position and a retracted inoperative position, and constraining structure supported by said carriage for movement therewith and being adapted to have such bundle compressed thereagainst by said compression plate in the extended operative position thereof upon displacement of said dolly relative to said carriage in a direction toward said banding apparatus, said carriage being operative upon displacement thereof to transfer such compressed bundle into the aforementioned banding apparatus.
 2. The compression-transfer apparatus of claim 1 in which said first and second drive means each comprise fluid motor means.
 3. The compression-transfer apparatus of claim 2 in which said first motor means comprises piston-cylinder structure operatively connected between said carriage and dolly for reciprocating the latter relative to said carriage, and in which said second motor means comprises piston-cylinder structure operatively connected between said dolly and compression plate to displace the latter between the extended operative and retracted inoperative positions thereof.
 4. The compression-transfer apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising stop structure mounted upon said carriage and being cooperative with said dolly to define the maximum extent of the compressional displacement enforcable on said compression plate by said dolly.
 5. The compression-transfer apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising adjustment means connecting said constraining structure with said carriage for selectively determining the relative positions thereof and thereby establish the minimum permissible distance between said constraining structure and compression plate upon compressional displacement of the latter as enforced thereon by said dolly.
 6. The compression-transfer apparatus of claim 5 and further comprising stop structure mounted upon said carriage and being cooperative with said dolly to define the maximum extent of the compressional displacement enforcable on said compression plate by said dolly.
 7. The compression-transfer apparatus of claim 6 in which said first drive means comprises fluid motor means in the form of piston-cylinder structure operatively connected between said carriage and dolly for reciprocating the latter relative to the former, and in which said second drive means comprises fluid motor means in the form of piston-cylinder structure operatively connected between said dolly and compression plate to displace the latter between the extended operative and retracted inoperative positions thereof.
 8. In banding apparatus in which bundles of bag articles or the like, compressed at a station generally adjacent the entrance to such apparatus, have bands wrapped and secured thereabout to maintain each bundle in a compressed state for shipment and storage, band delivery mechanism comprising feed roller structure repetitively operative to withdraw continuous strips of band webbing from a supply roll thereof and advance the webbing through such station for engagement by each such bundle compressed thereat, knife structure for severing such webbing into predetermined lengths each adequate to be secured about a bundle for constraining the same in its compressed state, and a control roller assembly intermediate said knife structure and compression station for controlling each severed length of band webbing as it extends through such station for engagement by a bundle thereat, said control roller assembly being characterized by enabling such severed length of band webbing controlled thereby to be displaced with such bundle from said compression station and into said banding Apparatus; said band-delivery mechanism further including a reciprocable band guide assembly movable through such compression station between an upper position of adjacency with said control roller assembly to receive the band webbing advancing therethrough and guide the same through such compression station and a lower position remote from such station so as to offer no interference to movement thereinto and compression of a bundle thereat, and drive structure for displacing said band guide assembly between such upper and lower positions thereof.
 9. The band delivery mechanism of claim 8 in which said control roller assembly is operative to grip such band webbing and yieldingly resist withdrawal therefrom of a severed length of such webbing.
 10. The band delivery mechanism of claim 9 in which said control roller assembly includes a driven roller and an idler roller cooperative therewith, said driven roller being equipped with an overrunning clutch to enable such severed band length to be yieldingly withdrawn from the grip of said driven and idler rollers.
 11. In banding apparatus in which bundles of bag articles or the like, compressed at a station generally adjacent the entrance to such apparatus, have bands wrapped and secured thereabout to maintain each bundle in a compressed state for shipment and storage, band delivery mechanism comprising feed roller structure repetitively operative to withdraw continuous strips of band webbing from a supply roll thereof and advance the webbing through such station for engagement by each such bundle compressed thereat, knife structure for severing such webbing into predetermined lengths each adequate to be secured about a bag bundle for constraining the same in its compressed state, and a control roller assembly intermediate said knife structure and compression station for controlling each severed length of band webbing as it extends through such station for engagement by a bag bundle thereat, said control roller assembly being characterized by enabling such severed length of band webbing controlled thereby to be displaced with such bundle from said compression station and into said banding apparatus; said band delivery mechanism further including friction structure engageable with a severed band length along a section thereof generally located on the side of such compression station opposite that of said control roller assembly and cooperative with such band section to control the same during displacement of such bundle from the compression station and into said banding apparatus.
 12. The band delivery mechanism of claim 11 in which said friction structure is slidably engageable with such severed band length to yieldingly inhibit translational displacement thereof with such compressed bundle into said banding apparatus.
 13. The band delivery mechanism of claim 12 in which said friction structure includes a friction plate formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction.
 14. In banding apparatus in which bundles of bag articles or the like, compressed at a station generally adjacent the entrance to such apparatus, have bands wrapped and secured thereabout to maintain each bundle in a compressed state for shipment and storage, band-delivery mechanism comprising feed roller structure repetively operative to withdraw continuous strips of band webbing from a supply roll thereof and advance the webbing through such station for engagement by each such bundle compressed thereat, knife structure for severing such webbing into predetermined lengths each adequate to be secured about a bag bundle for constraining the same in its compressed state, and a control roller assembly intermediate said knife structure and compression station for controlling each severed length of band webbing as it extends through such station for engagement by a bag bundle thereat, said control roller assembly being characterized by enabling such severed length of band webbing controlled thereby to be displaced with such bundle from saiD compression station and into said banding apparatus; said band delivery mechanism further including a reciprocable band guide assembly movable through such compression station between an upper position of adjacency with said control roller assembly to receive the band webbing advancing therethrough and guide the same through such compression station and a lower position remote from such station so as to offer no interference to movement thereinto and compression of a bag bundle thereat, drive structure for displacing said band guide assembly between such upper and lower positions thereof, and friction structure engageable with a severed band length along a section thereof generally located on the side of such compression station opposite that of said control roller assembly and cooperative with such band section to control the same during displacement of such bundle from the compression station and into said banding apparatus.
 15. The band delivery mechanism of claim 14 in which said control roller assembly is operative to grip such band webbing and yieldingly resist withdrawal therefrom of a severed length of such webbing, and in which said control roller assembly includes a driven roller equipped with an overrunning clutch to enable such severed band length to be yieldingly withdrawn from the grip of said driven and idler rollers.
 16. The band delivery mechanism of claim 15 in which said friction structure is slidably engageable with such severed band length to yieldingly inhibit translational displacement thereof with such compressed bundle into said banding apparatus, and in which said friction structure includes a friction plate formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction.
 17. The band delivery mechanism of claim 16 and further including an adjustment assembly supporting said feed roller and knife structures for adjustable displacements thereof along the path of movement of such band webbing toward said control roller assembly so as to enable the extent of such predetermined web lengths to be changed.
 18. The band delivery mechanism of claim 17 and further including sensor means operatively connected with said feed roller structure to terminate operation thereof whenever a strip of band webbing withdrawn thereby from such supply roll reaches a predetermined location, said sensor means being adjustable so as to permit change of such predetermined location.
 19. In banding apparatus adapted to wrap and secure a band about a bundle of compressed bag articles or the like to maintain the same in the compressed state for shipment and storage, a first flap-folder mechanism and a bundle-transfer mechanism spaced therefrom and together defining a first flap-folding station, said transfer mechanism comprising spaced-apart constraining members and being reciprocable between a bundle-receiving position in alignment with said first flap-folder mechanism and a bundle removal station remote therefrom, said first flap-folder mechanism being equipped with a reciprocable presser plate engageable with a compressed bundle located intermediate said folder and transfer mechanisms to displace such bundle into said transfer mechanism, drive structure connected with said presser plate for cyclically reciprocating the same to displace successive bundles into said transfer mechanism, drive means for reciprocably displacing said transfer mechanism between the aforesaid bundle-receiving and bundle removal positions, and second flap-folder mechanism at said bundle removal position.
 20. The banding apparatus of claim 19 in which said bundle-transfer mechanism includes longitudinally spaced front and rear bundle-constraining assemblies adapted to receive such compressed bundle therebetween, and further comprising means for adjusting one of said constraining assemblies with respect to the other so as to change selectively the bundle-receiving space therebetween.
 21. The banding apparatus of claim 20 in which the longitudinal extent of said presser plate actually engageable with such compressed bag bundle is somewhat less than the longitudinal spacing between said front and rear bundle-constraining assemblies, whereby the internal friction between contiguous articles in a compressed bundle thereof cooperates with said presser plate in the displacement of such bundle into said transfer mechanism.
 22. The banding apparatus of claim 20 in which said front constraining assembly is equipped with adjustment means connecting the same with said bundle-transfer mechanism to adjustably position said front constraining assembly relative to said rear constraining assembly.
 23. The banding apparatus of claim 22 in which said presser plate is provided with a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinal projections along the forward edge thereof and said front constraining assembly is provided with transversely spaced components adapted to pass said projections therethrough, and in which the rear edge of said presser plate lies forwardly of said rear constraining assembly so that the longitudinal extent of said presser plate actually engageable with such bag bundle is somewhat less than the longitudinal spacing between said front and rear bundle-constraining assemblies, whereby the internal friction between contiguous articles in a compressed bundle thereof cooperates with said presser plate in the displacement of such bundle into said transfer mechanism.
 24. The banding apparatus of claim 19 and further comprising a glue assembly carried by said bundle-transfer mechanism and operative to deposit adhesive onto one of the flaps of a bundle-wrapping band during the reciprocable displacement of said bundle-transfer mechanism.
 25. In bundle-forming apparatus having a conveyor equipped with longitudinally spaced flights and along which bundles of articles are advanced in longitudinally separated relation by the interposition of said flights therebetween, bundle-locator mechanism comprising a carriage reciprocable longitudinally along a section of said conveyor, finger structure supported by said carriage for reciprocable displacement relative thereto between a lower retracted position beneath such bundles being advanced along said conveyor and an upper extended position in the path of travel of such bundles, and drive mechanism for reciprocating said carriage and for displacing said finger structure in timed relation with said conveyor so as to insert said finger structure into the space defined between successive bundles by the presence of a flight thereat, said drive mechanism being operative to accelerate said carriage to a velocity exceeding the normal velocity of such bundles so as to compress the bundle forwardly of said finger structure and thereby increase the spacing defined between such forward bundle and adjacent flight so as to accommodate a compression plate; said longitudinally spaced flights being operative to advance such bundles along said conveyor, and said drive mechanism including drive structure connected with said carriage for reciprocating the same longitudinally along said conveyor section and further including separate drive structure connected with said finger structure for displacing the same between such lower retracted and upper extended positions thereof.
 26. In banding apparatus in which bundles of bag articles or the like, compressed at a station generally adjacent the entrance to such apparatus, have bands wrapped and secured thereabout to maintain each bundle in a compressed state for shipment and storage, band-delivery mechanism comprising feed roller structure repetively operative to withdraw continuous strips of band webbing from a supply roll thereof and advance the webbing through such station for engagement by each such bundle compressed thereat, knife structure for severing such webbing into predetermined lengths each adequate to be secured about a bag bundle for constraining the same in its compressed state, and a control roller assembly intermediate said knife structure and compressIon station for controlling each severed length of band webbing as it extends through such station for engagement by a bag bundle thereat, said control roller assembly being characterized by enabling such severed length of band webbing controlled thereby to be displaced with such bundle from said compression station and into said banding apparatus; said band-delivery mechanism further including an adjustment assembly supporting said feed roller and knife structures for adjustable displacements thereof along the path of movement of such band webbing toward said control roller assembly so as to enable the extent of such predetermined web lengths to be changed, and further including sensor means operatively connected with said feed roller structure to terminate operation thereof whenever a strip of band webbing withdrawn thereby from such supply roll reaches a predetermined location, said sensor means being adjustable so as to permit change of such predetermined location.
 27. In banding apparatus adapted to wrap and secure a band about a bundle of compressed bag articles or the like to maintain the same in the compressed state for shipment and storage, a first flap-folder mechanism and a bundle-transfer mechanism spaced therefrom and together defining a first flap-folding station, said transfer mechanism being reciprocable between a bundle-receiving position in alignment with said first flap-folder mechanism and a bundle removal station remote therefrom, said first flap-folder mechanism being equipped with a reciprocable presser plate engageable with a compressed bundle located intermediate said folder and transfer mechanisms to displace such bundle into said transfer mechanism, drive structure connected with said presser plate for cyclically reciprocating the same to displace successive bundles into said transfer mechanism, drive means for reciprocably displacing said transfer mechanism between the aforesaid bundle-receiving and bundle removal positions, a glue assembly carried by said bundle-transfer mechanism and operative to deposit adhesive onto one of the flaps of a bundle-wrapping band during the reciprocable displacement of said transfer mechanism; said glue assembly being selectively movable between an inactive retracted position and an active extended position to deposit adhesive onto such band flap, and further comprising motor means connected with said glue assembly for displacing the same between such positions thereof in timed relation with the reciprocable displacement of said bundle-transfer mechanism between the bundle-receiving and bundle removal positions thereof.
 28. In apparatus of the character described having a conveyor by which bundles of bag articles or the like are advanced in longitudinally separated relation toward banding apparatus, bundle removal mechanism for bodily carrying successive bundles from said conveyor into said banding apparatus including spaced-apart constraining members between which the bundle is positioned, means for feeding a banding web ahead of said bundle removal mechanism from a supply thereof, means for moving said bundle removal mechanism with a bundle held therein against a side of said web to cause said web to overlie the bottom, top and the leading end of the bundle, means for severing said web into predetermined lengths each providing a pair of flaps for overlying the trailing end of the bundle, a first flap-folder mechanism positioned at the opposite side of said web, a bundle-transfer mechanism spaced therefrom, said first flap-folder mechanism being operative to move the bundle into said transfer mechanism and fold one of said flaps over the trailing end of said bundle, a second flap-folder mechanism spaced from said first flap-folder mechanism, and means for moving the transfer mechanism from said first flap-folder mechanism to the second flap-folder mechanism, said second flap-folder mechanism being operative to fold the other of said flaps over the trailing end of said bundle.
 29. The bundle forming appAratus of claim 28 in which mechanism is provided to accelerate movement of the trailing constraining member of said bundle removal mechanism to compress the bundle against the leading constraining member and thus compress the bundle.
 30. The bundle-transfer mechanism of claim 28 further comprising a glue assembly carried by said bundle-transfer mechanism and operative to deposit adhesive onto one of said flaps.
 31. In banding apparatus adapted to wrap and secure a band about a bundle of bag articles or the like, means for feeding a banding web from a supply roll thereof, bundle carrying mechanism for bodily moving a bundle in one general direction against a side of said web to cause said web to overlie the bottom, top and the leading end of the bundle, means for severing said web into predetermined lengths each providing a pair of flaps for overlying the trailing end of a bundle, a first flap-folder mechanism positioned at the opposite side of said web and a bundle-transfer mechanism spaced therefrom and together defining a first flap-folding station at the opposite side of the web, said transfer mechanism being reciprocable between a bundle-receiving position in alignment with said first flap-folder mechanism and a bundle removal position spaced therefrom, said first flap-folder mechanism including a reciprocable presser plate engageable with a bundle to displace such bundle from said bundle carrying mechanism into said transfer mechanism for folding one of said flaps over said bundle end, drive structure connected with said presser plate for cyclically reciprocating the same to displace successive bundles into said transfer mechanism, drive means for reciprocably displacing said transfer mechanism between said bundle-receiving and bundle removal positions, and second flap-folder mechanism at said bundle removal position operative to fold the other of said flaps over the trailing end of the bundle.
 32. The banding apparatus of claim 31 including a feed roller structure repetitively operative to advance said web, and a roller assembly between the web severing means and said bundle carrying mechanism for controlling the feeding of each severed length of web.
 33. In bundle forming apparatus having a conveyor equipped with longitudinally spaced flights and by which bundles of articles are advanced in longitudinally separated relation by the interposition of said flights therebetween; compression-transfer mechanism operative to transfer bodily successive bundles from said conveyor into a banding apparatus and for compressing the same comprising a leading constraining structure and a trailing compression plate for receiving a bundle therebetween, drive mechanism operative to displace said compression plate toward said constraining structure to compress the bundle therebetween, drive mechanism for advancing the compressed bundle against a side of a banding web in said banding apparatus to cause said web to overlie the bottom, top and leading end of the bundle, and flap-folder mechanism at the opposite side of said web including a presser plate for displacing the compressed bundle with severed length of the web from between said constraining structure and said compression plate into a bundle transfer device. 